40 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
2On the first day of the first month you shall set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. 3Place there the Ark of the Pact, and screen off the ark with the curtain. 4Bring in the table and lay out its due setting; bring in the lampstand and light its lamps; 5and place the gold altar of incense before the Ark of the Pact. Then put up the screen for the entrance of the Tabernacle.
6You shall place the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. 7Place the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8Set up the enclosure round about, and put in place the screen for the gate of the enclosure.
9You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all that is in it to consecrate it and all its furnishings, so that it shall be holy. 10Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils to consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy. 11And anoint the laver and its stand to consecrate it.
12You shall bring Aaron and his sons forward to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with the water. 13Put the sacral vestments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve Me as priest. 14Then bring his sons forward, put tunics on them, 15and anoint them as you have anointed their father, that they may serve Me as priests. This their anointing shall serve them for everlasting priesthood through- out the ages.
16This Moses did; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
17In the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the Tabernacle was set up. 18Moses set up the Tabernacle, placing its sockets, setting up its planks, inserting its bars, and erecting its posts. 19He spread the tent over the Tabernacle, placing the covering of the tent on top of it—just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
20He took the Pact and placed it in the ark; he fixed the poles to the ark, placed the cover on top of the ark, 21and brought the ark inside the Tabernacle. Then he put up the curtain for screening, and screened off the Ark of the Pact—just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22He placed the table in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain, on the north side of the Tabernacle. 23Upon it he laid out the setting of bread before the LORD—as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the Tabernacle. 25And he lit the lamps before the LORD—as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26He placed the altar of gold in the Tent of Meeting, before the curtain. 27On it he burned aromatic incense—as the LORD had commanded Moses.
28Then he put up the screen for the entrance of the Tabernacle. 29At the entrance of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting he placed the altar of burnt offering. On it he offered up the burnt offering and the meal offering—as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30He placed the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it for wash- ing. 31From it Moses and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and feet; 32they washed when they entered the Tent of Meeting and when they approached the altar—as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33And he set up the enclosure around the Tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen for the gate of the enclosure.
When Moses had finished the work, 34the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. 35Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of the LORD filled the Tabernacle. 36When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the Israelites would set out, on their various journeys; 37but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until such time as it did lift. 38For over the Tabernacle a cloud of the LORD rested by day, and fire would appear in ita by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.
a-a Meaning perhaps from their wretched condition, cf. Hos. 2.2; or “gain ascendancy over the country.” Others “get them up out of the land.”
b Others “store cities.”
c-c Brought up from the end of the verse for clarity.
d More exactly, the brick or stone supports used by Egyptian women during childbirth.
e Meaning of Heb. batim uncertain.
a Heb. Mosheh from Egyptian for “born of”; here associated with mashah “draw out.”
b Lit. “sat” or “settled.”
c Associated with ger sham, “a stranger there.”
a Meaning of Heb. uncertain; variously translated: “I Am That I Am”; “I Am Who I Am”; “I Will Be What I Will Be”; etc.
b Others “I Am” or “I Will Be.”
c The name YHWH (traditionally read Adonai “the LORD”) is here associated with the root hayah “to be.”
a Cf. Lev. 13.2–3.
b Lit. “send through whomever You will send.”
c Cf. 7.1.
d I.e., Jethro.
e Lit. “whether they are still alive.”
f Meaning of vv. 25–26 uncertain.
a-a Samaritan “Even now they are more numerous than the people of the land,” i.e., than the native population (cf. Gen. 23.7).
b See 1.5–11.
a This divine name is traditionally not pronounced; instead, Adonai, “(the) LORD,” is regularly substituted for it.
b Lit. “raised My hand.”
c Or “Hanoch”; cf. on Gen. 46.9.
d Or “Shaul”; cf. on Gen. 46.10.
a Cf. 4.16.
a-a Others “wild beasts.”
b Meaning of peduth uncertain.
a Others “exalt yourself over.”
b A kind of wheat.
a Traditionally, but incorrectly, “Red Sea.”
a Others “move (or whet) his tongue.”
a Or “kid.” Heb. seh means either “sheep” or“goat”; cf. v. 5.
b Or “protective offering”; Heb. pesah.
c Or “protect”; cf. v. 11. note b.
a Or “on the new moon.”
b Lit. “between your eyes.”
c Others “frontlet.”
d Meaning of Heb. hamushim uncertain.
a See on Gen. 46.29.
b Heb. shalish; originally “third man on royal chariot”; hence “adjutant,” “officer.”
c Lit. “with upraised hand.”
d From root ’rr, “cast a spell” or “curse.” Others “and it lit up.”
e From root ’sr, with several ancient versions. Others “took off.”
a Heb. Yah.
b Others “song.”
c Others “glorify.”
d Others “mighty.”
e I.e., “bitter.”
a Others “glory.”
b Heb. man hu; others “It is manna.”
c Heb. man.
d Meaning of Heb. sappihith uncertain.
e Others “Testimony.”
a I.e., “Trial.”
b I.e., “Quarrel.”
c Lit. “Amalek and his people.”
d I.e., “The LORD is my banner.”
e Meaning of Heb. kes uncertain.
a Heb. ger.
b Lit. “(My) God is help.”
c-c Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
d Lit. “sit” as magistrate; cf. v. 13.
a Cf. v. 15.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c Some Hebrew manuscripts and the Greek read “all the people”; cf. v. 16.
a Tradition varies as to the division of the Commandments in vv. 2–14, and as to the numbering of the verses from 13 on.
b-b Others “take in vain.”
c Others “peace-offering.” Meaning of shelamin uncertain.
a Others “to the judges.”
b Or “ointments.”
c Or “reviles.”
d Lit. “under his hand.”
e Heb. “he.”
f Others “as the judges determine.”
g This constitutes chap. 22.1 in some editions.
a I.e, under a wall for housebreaking.
b I.e, the thief of 21.37.
c Lit. “excellence.”
d Lit. “field.”
e See note on 21.6.
f So that she is unmarried; cf. Deut. 20.7; 22.23 ff.
g Lit. “let live.”
h See Lev. 27.29.
i-i Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
j I.e., the male first-born.
a Others “multitude.”
b For this use of the verb ‘zb, cf. Neh. 3.8, 34. For the whole verse see Deut. 22.4.
c See note at 13.4.
d Lit. “back.”
e Others “hornet”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a-a Lit. “we will do and obey.”
b Meaning of Heb. ’asilim uncertain.
a Others “rams’ skins dyed red.”
b Or “dugong”; meaning of Hebrew tahash uncertain.
c Cf. Gen. 2.12 and note.
a Here the lowest of the covers of the Tabernacle.
b Meaning of Heb. meshullaboth uncertain.
c Heb. uses two terms for “south.”
d-d Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a Cf. note at 26.18.
b I.e., of the Tabernacle enclosure; the furnishings inside were of gold.
a-a Lit. “wise of heart, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom.”
b Others “checkered.”
c See v. 30 below; others “judgment.”
d The identity of several of these twelve stones is uncertain.
e Meaning of these two words uncertain. They designate a kind of oracle; cf. Num. 27.21.
f Others “all of blue.”
g Lit. “and fill their hands.”
a Or “lobe.”
a Lit. “its two.”
b Others “flowing.”
a Or “lampstand of pure gold.”
b Others “plaited.”
a-a Cf. Zech. 11.13 (beth hayyoser, “foundry”); others “fashioned it with a graving tool.”
b-b Others “These are your gods.”
c Others “an object of derision.”
d Lit. “fill your hands.”
e-e Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a-a Lit. “My face will go and I will.”
b-b Lit. “and I will grant the grace that I will grant and
